I have loved all of Olivia Dade’s books and At First Spite definitely delivered. It’s the first in a new series so there’s some world building happening which made the first third read a little slow for me. But once the relationship between Athena and Matthew picked up, I couldn’t put this one down.

From the beginning, we know that Athena blames Matthew for her broken engagement to his brother, Johnny, which is led to her living alone and unemployed in her “spite house” smack dab between the two brothers. She’s committed to petty revenge and her little pranks are hilarious. (Side note: romance readers will appreciate the judgment free ode to erotic monster romance that is this book!) For being 37 and 39, I wanted these two to talk to each other more than they did, but once they got around that initial awkwardness, I absolutely loved them together. The way they tenderly care for the other was really beautifully written.

Content flags include on page depression episodes and retelling of the accidental death of a child.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

My first Olivia Dade and book, we just did not click. I appreciate the body positivity and the depression representation but I could not get past "Professor Google" and the references to romance trope and genres - maybe a me thing, but I get pulled out of romance when it's too self-referential.

Another excellent contemporary romance from a consistently excellent author.

Dade's new Harlot's Bay series is off to a great start with this series launch. After Athena Greydon's fiancé ends their engagement at the urging of his older brother, she loses the safety net she was counting on and is forced to move into the house she recklessly bought as a wedding gift while she figures out her next steps. The problem with this is that the house is only 10 feet wide, and oh, it's located smack between the houses of her former fiancé Johnny and his irritating and uptight older brother Dr. Matthew Vine the Third. Athena is adrift personally and professionally and is forced to deal with both brothers more than she ever expected to, when all she really wants is to never see either of them again. Especially Dr. Matthew Vine the Third. Especially after he helps her move. Especially after he gives her leads on a new job. Especially after he listens to her and starts maybe even being nice to her...

This was a very emotional romance with lots of complex characters. There is a sensitive and accurate portrayal of depression, and although Athena is plus-sized, her body/body image is treated as a fact and isn't harped on or even really mentioned throughout the book. The book was well-paced and well-written (as usual for Dade) with enjoyable banter between the characters and fun antics. There were some colorful secondary characters that were just a treat to read about, and I hope we get to see more of them in future installments. I didn't love that the book started with a relationship with the male lead's brother, and the third act breakup and subsequent (extremely quick) forgiveness felt a little too neat and tidy, but overall the book was of the same phenomenal quality Dade's readers have come to expect. This will be an easy sell to her fans and is sure to win her some new ones. I'm already looking forward to more of this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning for death of a baby. It is historical but comes up a lot. This is another fun book from Olivia Dade. I liked that the book took place over a decent amount of time and they really go to know each other while falling in love.

I love Olivia Dade and this book was great! I would definitely recommend this book to any and all patrons at my library for sure.

Olivia Dade is a must buy author for me, and her latest release is no different. She excels in creating characters that you can't help but fall in love with, including vividly crafted side characters that add a depth to the story. Her books aren't just about the romantic leads; she builds a world that I want to be a part of.

This book came with content warnings, and I definitely suggest heeding them. This plot deals with some very heavy themes, and is one of the most relatable depictions of depression that I've ever read. For the first third of the book, the grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers tropes were front and center, but when the female main character's depression takes control, the story really grabbed my attention. This is a story that is so much deeper than just its tropes. Watching as Matthew helped to bring Athena back to a more stable place, without judgment, just patiently supporting her through her depressive episode, reduced me to tears. In reading how Athena worked through her challenges, one of the most realistically portrayed mental health episodes I've ever read, I saw myself on the page.

Please take caution and check trigger warnings, because the lighthearted cartoon cover doesn't hint at the heavy themes contained in the book - but if you do decide to read it, trust that you're going to experience one of the most memorable romances I've read in a long time.

Please, this book was frickin perfect, I love them both so much 😭 I admit I spent the first 30-40% SUPER skeptical of the MMC (and even outright annoyed at him), BUT I did a full 180 on my opinion of him after *one* particular scene where he does a huge grand gesture 😭 it takes a while for the MMC to be more open to the FMC (and to us, the reader) about why he made/makes certain choices, and I really started rooting for him after that.

I was pretty much rooting for the FMC right from page 1, I really aspire to have her passion and her confrontational skills 😭

They two were so cute together, and their enemies to friends to lovers arc was the bestest. Also, the third act breakup was actually meaningful for both MCs in this book, probably one of the only books I feel this way for. They both grew through it, and the third act grand gesture was frickin perfect. 10/10 I'd read a hundred extra pages of fluff between these two MCs.

ALSO, the suicidal depression rep was done so well. The descent into the depression, and the slow journey the FMC took to heal from it (I'm not sure if I'm using the correct terminology here) with the help of friends/family/therapy/medicine was written so frickin well.

TWs - suicidal thoughts (although with no immediate thoughts of suicide) on page, depression on page, death of a younger sibling due to negligence (past, but described on page), eldest sibling forced to assume the roles of a parent, parental negligence (off page)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager, for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot to like about this romance novel. I appreciated that the author was willing to tackle the topic of depression, which is a heavier topic than typically seen in the romance genre. I couldn't quite get over the ick factor of the fact that the Athena was once engaged to Matthew's brother. There were a few attempts at humor that fell flat to me, but overall the author did successfully give us a rom-com despite some heavy topics. Readers should check the trigger warnings before choosing to read this, but overall it's a thumbs-up.

Olivia Dade continues to write the best romances out there. This book tore my heart out, stomped on it, bandaged it up, and then gave it a kiss. I felt all the emotions reading this, and I couldn’t wait to see what Dade had in store for Athena. And speaking of Athena. WHAT. A. WOMAN. I need more main characters like this, please. She was just so realistic and flawed and I related to her inner dialogue a little too realistic. If you’re looking for some romantic tension and angst (with more than a little spice) read this!

Thank you NetGalley for the read!

I love Olivia’s book! So much fun and such well written characters, such a fun, romantic story! I love the two leads and the journey they go on together.

At First Spite was my third Olivia Dade novel and my favorite to date. I was impressed at how Dade incorporated some serious and somewhat dark obstacles, including mental health challenges and family trauma, balanced out with excellent chemistry, entertaining banter, and some very nerdy jokes. Both main characters felt fully fleshed out and compellingly unique, and I found myself completely invested in their relationship. Moreover, I also enjoyed the kooky supporting cast (especially the book club devoted to monster erotica) and am thrilled to learn that Dade plans to make this book the first in the Harlot’s Bay series. Highly recommend this charming (but not fluffy) romance!

Oh I absolutely LOVED this one! Literally has some of my favorite tropes so I knew I would enjoy it. This does talk about some pretty heavy topics so please check trigger warnings! This is such an emotional rollercoaster but it's also very beautiful!

Overall, this book was not for me.
First, the first 60% of this book is just really sad (please check content warnings if you are sensitive to certain topics and would rather not read them).

Second, the way she feels about Matthew for the first 1/3rd of the book and her reasons why - I had a hard time suspending reality that she would move past it to fall in love with him (there is an explanation at 50+% that is plausible, I suppose. It just takes a LONG time to get there).

Last, and this is nitpicky, but Athena, the heroine, keeps referring to Google as Professor Google (and there a LOT of references) - and I wanted to stab myself every time it was on the page.

Maybe I would feel differently if i had gone into this book knowing exactly what it includes, but I went into it because of Olivia Dade’s other books (which I LOVE and have rated 4 and 5 ⭐️) and the cute cover and this book is not that.

At First Spite very quickly became a 'life is just a series of events that keeps me from reading my book' book.

Athena and Johnny are ready to get married when Johnny calls off the engagement with two months left to walk down the aisle. Athena knows that her former future brother in law, Dr. Matthew Vine the Third, convinced him to dump her. All she can do is move into Spite House, the narrow home that she drained her savings to buy her former fiance as a wedding gift. It also happens to be sandwiched right between the two brothers' homes, leaving Athena living next door to the man who insisted that she'd be a bad wife. He already thinks the worst of her, so why not live up to the house's name?

Matthew is shocked that Athena bothered to move in to Spite House at all. Once she does, the proximity forces him to get a better look at Athena as a person, her motivations, and her inner workings, he understands just how wrong he was about her as a person and just how right she is for... him.

The beautiful strength of this book is in the vulnerability of the main characters. Athena's doubts about herself hurt to see as the reader (hopefully) sees her as Matthew does, yet she can't see herself. It calls to anyone who has felt unsure of themselves. The same goes for Matthew's history of parentification and the resulting inability to put his happiness first. It hurts to see, but seeing them recognize what the other doesn't and do right by one another is oh, so sweet.

This book has a great setting (Harlot's Bay, with several olde timey insults for women reclaimed as names around town), wonderful side characters, and excellent book club shenanigans.

The loss of one star comes from:
- The lack of space for resolution of the Johnny/Matthew/Athena problem. Matthew and Athena definitively act on their feelings at roughly the 75% mark, leaving little space to adequately address the fact that Matthew has fallen in love with his brother's ex, who he encouraged him to leave in the first place. With that much book left, it makes for a hasty third act break up, personal realizations, and reconciliation that didn't fully satisfy me. I don't fault the length of the buildup and can't think of anything I'd cut to give the final act more space, so I fully suggest that the book could/should have been longer.
- The grovel. Was second-hand embarrassing cringe. And yes, I understand that that was the idea because it parallels the way Athena harasses Matthew when she first moved in, it was Tina Belcher Erotic Friend Fiction Cringe mixed with an attempt at the Patric Verona song and dance from 10 Things.
- Johnny. I just felt that there wasn't enough growth on his part. He STILL GOES ON THE HONEYMOON ATHENA PLANNED, and has the audacity to take extra time on it. He seems to begin realizing where he went wrong, but never shows that he's thought on his behavior beyond how he mistreated Athena. He doesn't show that he's truly realized just how selfish he's been over all. I'm not sure I will have enough curiosity to see how Johnny's romance turns out if he gets a book.
- Karl. I loved Karl and wanted the foul-mouthed, grumpy, curmudgeonly, baker to have his own book until he made the choice to fire Athena. I understand that many would make the same decision, but the idea that Karl fired Athena in favor of Charlotte, who keeps quitting and rejoining because she keeps trying to make it work with her kids' dad, didn't sit well with me. Yes, Karl justifies it with they both do good work, but Charlotte has a kids to feed, didn't sway me enough, especially as she has done this to him in the past and comes back knowing that he'll drop better workers for her. Karl knowing that not only had Athena done good work but was actually beginning to make changes that would bring him MORE revenue in favor of Charlotte just angered me.

All in all, a solid first of a series set in a very charming location.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for giving me a digital review copy of “At First Spite” by Olivia Dade in exchange for an honest review.

When Athena Graydon buys the townhouse adjoining the one owned by her pediatrician fiance Dr. Johnny Vine, she imagines it’ll be a fantastic wedding gift. Unfortunately, her would-be brother-in-law convinces Johnny to break the engagement. So instead of a wedding and fabulous Hawaiian honeymoon, Athena is left alone with no job and a piece of real estate she can’t afford, in a town far from her family and friends.

To make matters even worse, her now ex-fiance’s brother, Dr. Mathew Vine (pediatrician and severely parentalized father figure to Johnny) lives on the other side of Athena’s awkward new home. And boy, does she hate him for the role he played in ending her engagement. What follows is a march from enemies-to-lovers for Athena and Mathew, with a hefty dose of “whaaaat?” thrown in.

The beauty of a good romance is when the developing relationship forces genuine character growth for both parties involved, as it does in “At First Spite.” Athena is a complex woman. She can’t seem to stay in a job, despite extensive schooling and kind (wealthy) parents who support her without reservation. The broken engagement and real estate fiasco physically remove her from that comfortable sphere and force her to keep trying without the safety net.

Mathew is also not your standard romance hero. Sure, he’s tall and good-looking and awesome at his job, but his extreme cinnamon-roll characteristics have thrown his life far out of whack that it’s threatening him both emotionally AND financially. His feelings regarding Athena (both his romantic interest and his guilt over how his interference has affected her) force him to do some work too.

Some aspects of the story are incredibly realistic: Athena is thrown into a legit depression by everything that’s happened and it truly takes a toll on her. Athena stops leaving the house, neglects her personal hygiene, and basically goes numb. There’s nothing melodramatic about this episode; she’s not just really sad. It’s as gross, grueling, saddening, and frustrating as depression can be. And Mathew’s efforts to help pull her out of it are pretty realistic too. He doesn’t try to fix her, as much as give her the tools she needs to help herself. It’s awesome.

But then, other aspects of the plot are a bit much. Early on, Athena takes a job in a local bakery, where the owner/head baker really, REALLY enjoys listening to audiobooks. His stories of choice are monster erotica. Not only doesn’t Athena feel sexually harassed (a reasonable response, honestly), she enjoys it. Unironically. Ok, sure. Later, as a way of exacting revenge on Mathew from breaking up her wedding, Athena plays the monster erotica loudly through her open windows, and the neighbors also seem to enjoy it. Then Athena becomes involved in a book club and all the members ALSO want to read the monster erotica. Every flipping citizen in this town is overly interested in stories about Sasquatch threesomes. No one, not a single person, says, “Hey, you know, this mythological shagging thing really isn’t my cup of tea. Maybe we could just read the latest bestseller instead?” It’s mind-boggling. It feels like a joke taken too far.

In general, it’s a good story and if you can suspend your disbelief regarding the monster stuff, it’s a fun, quick read. Recommended for anybody who gets a giggle out of the popular monster erotica sub-genre and folks who want to see real emotional growth from the main characters.

Olivia Dade writes another excellent book with characters you can't help but love and root for. I loved this romance story between two flawed but deeply emotional characters. Dade writes them with sensitivity and heart. Highly recommend.

This book was beyond lovely. I am already an Olivia Dade fan, but I think this is my favorite book from her by far. She took a plot set up that seemed like that it could be a bit contrived and made it truly realistic and entertaining. The romance is very spicy and very well written. The emotional conflicts make a lot of sense and don't feel contrived at all. This facet is an Olivia Dade standard, but the main female character is a fat woman who doesn't hate her body and that is always amazing to read on the page.

I can highly recommend this book if you're into romance with a lot of humor and fun.

At First Spite is funny, heartfelt, and beautifully written. It deals with difficult topics but gives them the care they deserve.

This is by far the best depression representation I have read in a romance book. It is a difficult topic to mix with romance because people who are depressed often withdraw from relationships and romance is about building relationships but wow does Olivia Dade pull it off! I loved how Matthew took care of Athena when she needed it and didn't think any less of her. However, I loved even more that Olivia Dade made it clear that care did not just go one way and that Athena had the capacity to be a true partner.

I will say this is not one to read when you are looking for a light escapism. While it has incredibly funny moments (I won't spoil it but let's just say murder dolls are involved) it also deals with heavy topics and may be hard for some people to read. However, if you are a fan of romance this is a great way to learn about some heavy topics with references to monster smut liberally thrown in. Also, this book may have the best grovel I've ever read and I've read a lot.

I don't think this book will be everyone's favorite but I think it will make up for it by making a lot of people who need it feel incredibly seen. I encourage everyone to read this book but if you find it's not for you please be thoughtful in your reviews and remember not every book is meant to appeal to every person.

Harlot's Bay is everything I want in a fictional small town. It has fun lore, interesting town traditions, and is a supportive community. If it existed, I would need to quit my job and move there immediately. I am so incredibly excited to read more of this series and more by Olivia Dade!

I recently finished a captivating book that left a profound impact on me. The narrative's focus on doing the right things, even if spurred by an unexpected beginning, resonated deeply. The character development and plot twists were brilliantly executed, turning what might have seemed like an inauspicious start into the most rewarding journey.

The author skillfully weaves a tale that captivates from beginning to end. The emphasis on meaningful choices and their consequences adds a layer of depth that lingers in the mind. While initially hesitant, I found myself fully immersed in the characters' journeys, each with its own surprises and life lessons.

As the final pages turned, a sense of sadness washed over me, not because of a lackluster conclusion but because the journey had concluded. This book is undeniably a must-read, offering not just a story, but a reflection on the importance of embracing the right path, even when it starts for unconventional reasons. Highly recommended for those seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!